There's a new invasive species on the march in the southern US. Invading hordes of "crazy ants" are spreading like wildfire through Houston and the outlying counties.They swarm your house, bite you, harm local species and -- get this -- they destroy electronic equipment. How's that for the wrath of nature? No kidding. These tiny ants are somehow attracted to electric equipment and have been found responsible for fouling up fire alarms, sewage pumps, etc.
Like fire ants, experts think the tiny flea-sized ants were introduced by a cargo vessel and now the insects are flourishing in an environment with few natural predators. They were dubbed "crazy ants" for the way the seem to scamper around erratically, instead of walking single-file like most 'sane' ants.
Aside from cropping up by the thousands in homes and businesses this spring, the plague of tiny insects have been found swarming on Houston's airports and even the NASA Space Center -- although no major electrical problems have been reported yet. It's not quite as earth strikes back as the sinkhole incident, but some experts believe that the electricity-loving ants could soon be short-circuiting electrical gadgets across a large portion of the US. Ha!
No comments:
Post a Comment